Overall, the experience at Amgen is not bad. The benefits are great, campus is beautiful, lots great people to interact and learn from.

Cons

The Amgen temp labor model is terrible. It's demeaning to the "temps" and creates poor talent retention for each departments, after they are trained and proficient, it's time to go! But I guess management only looks at the dollar signs.

Working for a big name in bio-tech, working with very smart people, and work was not too stressful.

Cons

Department layoffs were happening more frequently (hence why I was a contract worker), and by the time I left my department looks like a desert. Also, many buildings were closing down.

Advice to Management

Management seemed to worried about their own job security than ensuring jobs were kept under employees who worked under them. Too many overly tenured management employees who haven't contributed to their respective departments in years.

The salary and benefits are great, as are the opportunities for advancement. This company is young, so you'll find yourself really being challenged to participate across areas.

Cons

Because the company is young, there aren't clear SOPs, and navigating the changing culture can be difficult. There are politics, and people who are steeped in the culture of heirarchy. It is a consensus driven culture, where a lot of churn exists before things actually get done.

Everything you can think of that's good and that an employer should have, this company has in abundance. Except, that is, the things mentioned in the Cons section below. It is a great pity, as otherwise it would be a dream workplace for many - just as it was about ten years ago. I recommend this company only if you want to add Amgen experience in your resume and enjoy it for as long as you are given a chance to, not if you plan to stay there long-term.

Cons

Not promoting all people who deserve it. Low transparency of senior management. And did I mention layoffs? Actually, there have been three of them: 2007, 2011, and 2014-15 (still in progress). It is a terribly stressing situation, waiting to see if the axe is going to fall; whoever works there right now shouldn't be envied - at least not that much. Again, recommended only if you want to add Amgen experience in your resume, not if you plan to stay there for a long time.

Advice to Management

Stop the layoffs and become once again a company who puts employees and their well-being before anything else, simply because the employees are the company, not the CEO or the shareholders. How can there be a creative and productive work atmosphere when everybody wonders if they are going to be the next one to go??? (And this is NOT a rhetorical question.)

Benefits, established Biotech company with leading edge research and development organization. Strong culture in the past for ensuring Quality.

Cons

Impact of layoffs means company is losing some of its historical knowledge-base and significant impact to moral throughout the organization.Almost total focus on the bottom line and return to shareholders, no longer on patient-first and do the right thing. Very risk-adverse.